Hair straightening roller with expansion means



United States Patent [72] Inventor William Garrett Primary E.raminerF. Barry Shay 86-11 Whitney Ave., Elmhurst, New York Assistant ExaminerGregory E. McNeiil 11373 Attorney-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [2|] Appl. No. 739,783 [22] Filed June 25, 1968 [45] Patented Sept. 1, 1970 ABSTRACT: A roller which stretches each shaft of hair wound from tip to root, utilizing the elastic property embodied therein. The roller i5 2) relatively lZllgE longitudinally Split ex- EXPANSION MEANS pansible tube. It functions and safety in lieu of currently emsclaims 6Drawing Figs ployed continuous combing procedure in conjunction with dangerous chemicals. The hair is washed with warm water or [52] US. Cl 132/31 an equivalent mild sohmoh then rinsed with a weak alkah [51] lnLCl A45d 2/10 Solution A sdected lock f hair is wound around the mher [50] Field ofSearch l32/3l,33, prior to bringing the radial expansion huh into p|ay Aft 43, 41,42 stretching in keeping with the hairs texture the desired state of stress is maintained through (i) the evaporation of all [56] References Cited moisture using a dryer or (2) spraying an appropriate solution UNITED STATES PATENTS on the stressed hair and (3) then drying, removing the roller, 2,910,989 11/1959 Russell 132/40 and allowing the hair to cool naturally in its desirably 3,050,069 8/l962 Brown 132/39 straightened state.

' l I [,w 30 2: 32 j o r 111/ Patented Sept. 1, 1970 William Garret INVENTOR.

HAIR STRAIGHTENING ROLLER WITH EXPANSION MEANS This invention relates to a new roller device and method of straightening hair and, more particularly, to a normally contracted but circumferentially expansible hair winding and stressing roller, self-contained mechanical expanding means, and a manually attachable and detachable implementing tool which actuates the expanding means at the stage desired and subsequently returns said means to its normally retracted state.

By way of introduction and for background purposes, it may be stated here that hairstylists and other persons conversant with hair handling and dressing problems are aware that certain cold wave lotions have been and still are accepted chemicals used for treating hard-to-manage hair. Chemical action functions to condition the shafts of hair so that they are placed in a workable state. Before cold wave lotions came into acceptable use, electricity was employed but this too was not only time-consuming but dangerous because of possible unendurable burns. Persons conversant with the line of endeavor under advisement are aware that cold wave chemical can be damaging to the shafts of hair. It is digested by the action of the acid vapors which in turn can and do offend ones sense of smell undesirably. Many women are allergic to chemicals and actually could be blinded in the course of a treatment. Then, too, a neutralizer is essential to stop the action of the chemical or the hair can be over processed and not infrequently ruined.

Asis recognized, human hair has an inherent property comparable with metal and commonly referred to as tensile strength. In carrying out'the herein disclosed concept the hair is stressed and the applied stress or state of stress is maintained over a suitable'period of time until natural growth necessitates a new treatment. The expandable roller means herein comprebended will effectually accomplish the end result desired. What is accomplished in brief is utilization of the natural inherent property of hair with an appropriate hair straightening roller. With the innovation shown the problem is effectually solved because of uniform stretching of the hair shafts from tips to root ends without having to comb and comb until straightening occurs. Every millimeter of the entire linear length of each shaft in the wound lock is stretched to a predetermined increment by satisfactorily regulatable means.

. Briefly, the roller comprises an elongated cylinder which is split lengthwise along one longitudinal side. The edges defined by the intervening slit are parallel and spaced apart. The cylinder can be perforated, has a smooth tress winding surface and is made of sheet material which can be progressively circumferentially expanded to, thus provide a hair-winding and stretching roller which has the capability of expansion after the lock of hair has been completely and uniformly wound around the peripheral surface. Manually, regulatable expanding means is provided. This means, preferably but not necessarily, embodies several like circumferentially spaced radially adjustable expanding shoes which are located in the central hub portion and are capable of spreading the aforementioned edges apart. A feed screw achieves the expanding step and is acted upon by an attachable and detachable hand tool.

'More particularly, the centralized inner peripheral surface of the roller is provided with spaced parallel annular ribs defining an intervening channel and the expanding shoes are interrelated within the confines of the channel and have cooperating threaded lugs which are adjusted by the threads on the feed screw, said feed screw being turned by the attachable and detachable hand tool.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a hair straightening roller and accompanying expansion means with the roller in its hair stressing and strengthening position and held in such position by an accessible attachable and detachable hairpin, clip or the like; L

FIG. 2 is an end view of the roller by itself with the too detached and observing the roller of FIG. 6 in a direction from right to left;

FIG. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale taken on the plane of the section line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the several expanding shoes FIG. 6 is a view in perspective on a suitably enlarged scale which shows not only the roller and its contained expanding means but the readily attachable and detachable manually actuatable hand tool.

Referring now to the views of the drawings and particularly to FIG. 6 it will be noted that the aforementioned large diametered expansible and contractible hair winding roller is denoted by the numeral 8 and may be of suitable diameter and cross-section and of appropriate material such as for example moldable plastic material, aluminum or the like. It will be noted that this roller is provided with a longitudinal slit on one side which defines a pair of spaced parallel straight edges 10. It will be further noted that the roller can be perforated to provide a multiplicity of a distributed ventilating holes I2. It will be further noted that the opposite ends of this hollow roller are constantly open even when the roller is used in the manner shown for example in FIGS. 1 and 4.

With reference now to the self-contained or built-in central ized expanding and contracting means attention is first directed to FIG. 3 which shows that the inner peripheral surface midway between the respective open ends is provided with a pair of spaced encircling ring-like or annular ribs 14 which provide an intervening channel. While the expanding and contracting means might be of some construction other than shown it is preferably made up of several circumferentially spaced equidistant duplicate thrust shoes I6. Each shoe is preferably of the substantially ovate hollow openended construction shown in FIG. 5. The outer convex surface 18 is contoured to contact the associated curvate surfaceof the roller in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 in particular. The respective open ends are denoted at 20. The slightly concave inner peripheral surface is denoted at 22 and is provided with an integral laterally projecting segmental or sectorshaped lug 24. The truncated end portion 26 of this lug is provided with at least one thread. The numeral 28 designates reinforcing webs which are connected with opposite sides of the lugs. These lug-equipped shoes are assembled in the chart nel between the confining ribs 14 and the lugs are interrelated to provide a passage for the expanding screw. The screw has a tapering screwthreaded shank 29 which is threadedly engageable with the lugs and has its terminal end provided with a limit stop head 30 (FIG. 3). This head can be a simple blob of metal, or self-hardening glue and its function is to maintain the assembled relationship illustrated best in FIG. 3. The other larger end of the shank is provided with a flat faced tool gripping head which is denoted at 32. This head serves to accommodate an appropriate turning socket 34 on the limb 36 of the turning crank 38. The other slightly longer limb 40 is provided with a terminal knob 42 which provides a satisfacto ry handgrip.

It will be evident that the inherent resiliency of the split sleeve is suchthat it maintains the normal contracted state 'il lustrated with the edges 10 slightly spaced apart. Then, by attaching the socket 34 of the tool 38 to the turning head 32 after the hair has been completely coiled as shown in FIGS. I and 2, the expanding shoes come into play and the roller functions to stress the hair and maintain that stress or state of stress over a suitable period of time until natural growth necessitates a new treatment. Manifestly, if the lock of kinky or wavy hair is properly wound from the tips to the roots of the hair shafts over this large diametered expansible hair winding roller it elongates the shafts and the stresses within the hair are thus disorganized.

The procedure for stressing and straightening hair with the roller is as follows:

I. The hair is first washed clean with (warm as possible) water.

2. It is then rinsed with a weak alkali solution.

3. The hair is then set with rollers.

4. The screw is then turned with the wrench until the kinks are seen to disappear as the shafts are stretched taut.

5. Then a heater (similar to the type used in barber shops to sculpture hair after a razor cut) is played over the moist stretched shafts of hair.

6. The hair is allowed to cool naturally and upon removing the rollers the hair is straight.

It will be evident that the above procedure when followed cuts the over-all time that a woman must spend getting her hair straightened by present and often undesirable and dangerous cold wave lotion practices utilizing continuous combing which lends to irritation and hair loss via pulling.

With further reference to FIG. 1 it will be noted that after the set has been accomplished a suitable hairpin or clip 44 is applied with the limbs or legs 46 straddling the wall surfaces and with the free end portions projecting if necessary into the then aligned hollow expanding shoe 16. The constantly open ends permit satisfactory accomplishment of this pin attaching and hair-holding step.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described.

lclaim:

l. A hair winding, stretching and straightening device which utilizes the inherent elastic properties of each shaft in a lock of hair comprising: an elongated hollow expansible roller split lengthwise along one longitudinal side, the opposed edges bordering said split being normally spaced apart a predetermined distance, said roller having an external hair winding surface of a prescribed circumferential dimension and being made of yieldable material and being adapted to be progressively expanded, said roller being adapted to be expanded after the lock of hair has been completely and uniformly wound around said winding surface, said roller being hollow and having open ends, the inner peripheral surface of a median portion of said roller having a pair of spaced parallel rigid ribs conjointly defining an annular channel between said ribs, a plurality of like thrust imposing roller expanding shoes, said shoes being seated and operatively confined in said channel and having thrust contact with coacting inner peripheral surface portions of said roller, an axial expander operatively connected with said shoes, said expander embodying a varying diameter screw threaded shank provided with a shank turning head at one end accessible by way of a coacting open end of said roller, whereby rotation of said screw acts upon said shoes to exert pressure on the interior walls of the roller and to thereby spread said opposed edges, increase the diameter of said roller, and stretch the hair which is wound thereon.

2. The hair winding, stretching and straightening device defined in and according to claim 1 and wherein said shoes are hollow, are of elongated form, each shoe having open ends and having confronting inwardly disposed surface portions, each surface portion having an integral laterally projected lug with a truncated threaded terminal end, the respective lugs being oriented and coordinated into coacting relationship, the aforementioned screw threaded shank being tapered and threadedly engageable with the threads of said lugs.

3. The hair winding, stretching and straightening device defined in and according to claim 2, and, in combination, an attachable and detachable hand tool having a socket member which is alignable and connectable with said turning head.

4. The hair winding, stretching and straightening device defined in and according to claim 1 wherein said shoes are spaced at equidistant circumferential points.

5. A hair winding, stretching and straightening device which utilizes the inherent elastic properties of each shaft in a lock of hair after the hair has been pre-softened and subsequent to having been readied for stretching comprising: an elongated hollow expansible and contractable hair roller split lengthwise along one longitudinal side, the opposed marginal edges of said split being normally spaced apart a predetermined distance, said roller having a smooth external hair winding surface and being made of yieldable material which permits said roller to be progressively expanded, said roller being adapted to be circumferentially expanded after the lock of hair has been completely and uniformly wound around said winding surface, said roller having open ends, means mounted on the interior walls intermediate the respective open ends of said roller and defining an annular channel, a plurality of roller cxpanding shoes seated and operatively confined in said channel and located at circumferentially spaced points and having thrust contact with the coacting inner peripheral surface portions of said roller, an axial expander operatively connected with said shoes, said expander embodying a varying diameter screw threaded shank provided with a shank turning head at one end accessible by way of a coacting open end of said roller, whereby rotation of said screw acts upon said shoes to exert equal pressure on the interior walls of the roller and to thereby spread said opposed edges, increase the diameter of said roller, and stretch the hair which is wound thereon. 

